In early July the Staff of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
issued
new guidance on how to approach Made in USA claims. The
agency says the new guidance will help businesses comply with its
"all or virtually all" standard, including how to make
disclosures qualifying a Made in USA claim. The new guidance is
"Staff's" view, which means it is not formally
approved by the commissioners.
Under an Enforcement Policy Statement issued in
1997, the FTC stated that to make a Made in USA claim,
"all or virtually all" of a product had to be made in the
USA. In 2021, the FTC finalized the
Made in USA Labeling Rule, which codified the "all
or virtually all" standard for labels on products. Under the
labeling rule, regardless of industry or type of product, marketers
are now subject to civil penalties if they improperly use an
unqualified Made in USA claim on the product label.
